The most intelligent monster movie you'll ever see

Rating: 7/10 (1 August 2013)

In the year 2020, a dimensional portal opens up in the Pacific Ocean, and our world is besieged by giant monsters called Kaiju (Japanese for 'strange creature'). In response, humanity created large robots called Jaegars (German for 'hunter') to fight these creatures. Unfortunately, the Kaiju are winning, and it's up to a washed-up former pilot and a rookie to save humanity from being annihilated. Pacific Rim is the brainchild of Guillermo Del Toro, visionary director of such visually striking films as Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. Pacific Rim isn't a remake or a movie 'based on anything' (aside from Del Toro's love of old-school monster movies), which is refreshing considering Hollywood's nauseating obsession with sequels, remakes, and superhero comic adaptions.
First, and foremost, the CGI in Pacific Rim is some of the best you will ever see. The Jaegars and Kaiju look awesome, especially when they are beating the tar out of each other (and destroy cities in the process). It is definitely worth the 3D upcharge. Del Toro's film also features a well-developed and colorful cast that keeps the film from being 'all-style no-substance', like similar big-budget action films like Transformers and Battleship. A noteworthy performance comes from Dr. Newton Geiszler (played by Charlie Day of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame), a very enthusiastic and easily-excitable scientist that provides some big laughs and crucial insight into the Kaiju and how to defeat them. Ron Perlman has a memorable, but brief role as the Black Market Kaiju organ dealer Hannibal Chou (whose name comes from his favorite historical figure and his second-favorite Chinese restaurant). Details like how the robots operate, where the monsters come from and some of their biological facts (often provided animatedly by the aforementioned Doctor) are not only clever, but they give the world a certain degree of plausibility, another feature often absent from similar films. There is also a quick scene mid-credits which is worth sticking around for.
Pacific Rim is not without flaws, though. At points, the dialogue was hard to hear, although this may have been the theater's fault. A few moments in the film will cause viewers to think "Why didn't they just do that before?" For example: towards the end of the second act, the Jaegar piloted by the two main heroes suddenly unveils a blade attachment that can slice a Kaiju with ease, clearly more effective than punching and throwing said beast for 10 minutes (though admittedly less exciting). The fight scenes in the second act are so thrilling and over-the-top that the third act feels short and weak in comparison. While the cast is strong and there are surprisingly few cliché/cheesy lines, the rookie and the washed-up pilot (the two main heroes) are not as well-developed as some of the other characters. All of the battle scenes are a treat to watch, but they take place either in the pouring rain or underwater. This doesn't deter from the enjoyment of the film, but to watch the two opposing forces duke it out on a sunny day (or even a cloudy one) would've be nice, so we could see them more clearly.
The good far outweighs the bad when it comes to Pacific Rim, and you probably won't ever see a more fun or intelligent monster movie. 7 Robots out of 10